Verisulis Twitter. Nick Bilton

New York Times journalist Nick Bilton recounts the full story of Twitter’s rise for the first time. Twitter’s four founders—Evan Williams, Noah Glass, Jack Dorsey, and Biz Stone—underwent a dizzying transformation from ordinary engineers into wealthy, influential celebrities. Yet, as Twitter grew larger and more powerful, the struggle between these friends for money, power, and fame turned increasingly bitter, taking some truly unbelievable turns.

At first glance, Twitter appears to be the perfect success story. In a short span of time, a small group of young, talented, and rebellious geeks built a business that now boasts over 300 million active users—a platform that has profoundly shaped the worlds of business, politics, and media, as well as many other facets of life. But this success came at a high price. The position of Twitter’s CEO changed hands so many times in such a short period, accompanied by such bitter betrayals, that the whole saga feels like a carefully crafted work of fiction. It is a book so gripping that it is hard to put down.

Through meticulous research and a revealing writing style, Bilton delivers a compelling and intimate portrait of four friends who changed the world—almost by accident. The story is filled with backstabbing, but also features hilarious anecdotes and dark humor. On one hand, this book provides a thorough and authentic account of the creation of Twitter, but it also demonstrates that real life often offers stories even more extraordinary than fiction. It is a thought-provoking, human story—even if Twitter itself holds no interest for you.